My Safe-Haven free essay sample

At the end of the dimly lit hallway patiently awaits a pure white door. On it protrudes a sparkling, light blue â€Å"H,† indicating to whom the oasis beyond belongs. Underneath this blue emblem of hope sits a four-by-six picture of Lilo from the animated Disney film â€Å"Lilo Stitch† in which she’s lying on the floor by a red, used record player. Beside the consoling source of music is a scattered mess of records with a quote from the movie underneath Lilo, saying â€Å"Leave me alone to die,† a fair warning to those who try to disturb the tranquility beyond the tall, white barrier. A large, spherical, glittering bell hanging from a clean white ribbon that has been tied on the door handle chimes a sweet welcome to me as I push down the cool smooth lever and slowly swing the door open. A burst of warm sunlight fills my eyes and swells in my chest as I enter my personal bright blue paradise. We will write a custom essay sample on My Safe-Haven or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page On the wall opposite the door hangs a large framed poster with the Chinese characters of the different elements that was a present some few years ago covered only with a few small tears and wrinkles on the shiny, almost perfect surface. Beneath the poster sits a trouble-free white desk with a drawer to the left filled to the top with visibly used playing cards, pictures, notes passed between my friends and me, and other odd doo-dads that I have collected over the years. I run my hand along the worn spines of my beloved and favorite books – all tales of fantasy and adventure – and am tempted to pick one up and enjoy the journey they take me on. Then, my eye is caught by several memoirs left to me by my closest friends who live many miles away. I gingerly pick up a doll caricature of myself sent to me from my soul-sister, reminding me of the funny comics we would draw of our made-up adventures. Along the base of the books and framed collage of pictures of my best friend s and me sits a snow globe in which a smiling ballerina in a pink leotard and tutu is poised with on toes perfectly pointed, never tiring, never moving, even when the whimsical music chimes softly to which she is inclined to dance. Though the books call to me to embark in the journey hidden beneath their covers, and the memoirs bring out happy memories of days past, I turn and sit in my large lime-green papasan chair rubbing my hands on the ever-smooth and cushiony fabric. The fabric was as soft and cool as if I were sitting enfolded in a large bed of lush green grass, which still smells of cotton candy perfume, thanks to my sister who had sprayed it on years prior. To the left of where I comfortably sit confidently stands my crisp, white closets doors which are adorned in a large poster of one of my favorite tales of hope and adventure: Narnia. My bed lies a few feet before the closet, a bright, blithe, multi-colored comforter on top, covered in stripes, polka dots, and checkers in a blend that makes it appealing to the eye, reminding me of the brightly colored candy Starbursts. Three multicolored polka dotted pillows are stacked neatly on top with two bright blue pillows as fluffy and light-hearted as a pood le covering them, though all but two pillows will be removed to make more room on the inviting bed when night comes and only one will actually be used. The covers remain neatly smoothed and placed with care precise perfection, as if one single wrinkle could ruin the alluring appearance. To the left of my bed and its bright orange nightstand is a clean, brand new, white bookshelf with every other square cubby filled with either a lime green or pink fabric drawer that is easily pulled out by the flimsy but durable handle attached to the front. In the open cubbies, many books and school textbooks stand straight or slanted with slightly worn spines. In the fabric drawers are some of my most used possessions: my painting sets, my colored pencils and markers, some reference books, several sketchbooks filled from cover to cover, and an unfinished story whose end comes slowly. The flat top of the waist-high book shelf is covered with my many stuffed animals organized in a manner that makes them appear to be calling to me, still smooth and downy from the gentle and delicate care received through many years. I close my eyes a moment and enjoy the soft breeze my ceiling fan cheerfully dances across my face gently tussling my hair. I love the continuous, quiet, twirling sound of the fan that is so peaceful, it is almost hypnotic. As the fan beats and the sun warms and comforts me I begin to grow weary. I smile to myself unconsciously in content happiness as a lavender dream catcher twirls overhead, keeping dreams of fear far from me.

Should Experimental tests on O essays

Should Experimental tests on O essays Should Experimental tests on Obedience be performed? Through the years many psychologists have studied how human beings follow authority or a group over their own conscience in many cases. Yet, people have also shown that they can go against authority and do what they feel right. Is being obedient wrong? In many cases obedience is necessary to live communal lives. Yet, if this obedience makes you go against your own conscience and harm another human being you should not obey. Another question posed is if performing experiments on obedience is harmful? In an experiment performed by Stanley Milgram, how much pain an ordinary citizen would inflict on another person if ordered to by an experimenter was tested. The study took place in a laboratory at Yale University where people were randomly selected off the street and paid to be part of the study. The study consisted of a learner who was read word pairs and asked to remember them. The teacher was to read off the word pairs and then ask the learner to pair the words correctly. If the learner answers incorrectly the teacher would give the learner a shock. As the learner answered more questions incorrectly the shock voltage would increase. Each teacher received a sample shock of 45 volts to show the authenticity of the machine. Yet, in reality the learner did not receive any shocks and he was really an actor. As the voltage increases the actor or learner begins to complain of pain and at 150 volts he demands to be released. Through the experiment many become tense and ask the experim enter to stop but are urged to continue. About 60% of the people drawn from every stratum of New Haven were fully obedient to the experimenter (Milgram, 351). When the teachers had to forcibly push the learners hand onto the shock plate 30% were willing to deliver 450 volts (Milgram, 352). Also, when the experimenter was communicating by phone only a third as many people were obedient through 450 volts...

Enlightment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Enlightment - Essay Example He considered education a tool for enlightenment which needed to be observed at all costs. Freedom of religion was also taken into consideration and was considered equally important. Frederick the Great also wrote many books about religion. He allowed his subjects to believe in any type of religion they liked (Murvar, 2013). Frederick is also considered as enlightened despot because of his contribution to promoting industry, commerce and agriculture. He reorganized the indirect taxes system, which provided the state with additional revenue than before. Additionally, Frederick the Great is considered as an enlightened despot because his mother brought him up with the educational values of the enlightenment. In his childhood, his mother tutors who were in a position to teach him poetry. French culture and the Greek classical literature. His father also insisted that he needed to be taught matters related to politics and military. Therefore, he became a military genius (Halpern, 2007). Lastly, Frederick became a patron of arts and sciences. He was also a talented musician, writing flute sonatas. At some point, he corresponded with intellectual leaders of enlightenment such as Voltaire. In his scientific work, he encouraged the Berlin academy and encouraged architects to build elaborate buildings and structures. Such structures and buildings established Berlin as a cultural capital (Halpern,

Edgar Allan Poes Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Edgar Allan Poes - Essay Example Both the stories are written using the same technique by Edgar Allan Poe. He has used the narrator as a tool to describe the events in both the stories. This essay would further revolve around the two stories and present the differences and similarities found in both the stories. Edgar Allan Poe has explicably written both the works to show the madness that is prevalent in the world. He uses the technique of a narrative to describe both the stories along with the justice that is served in the ending of both stories (Poe 375). Poe uses the first person experience to narrate both the stories so that the readers can take an insight in the scenes of the horror fiction. Poe gives a detailed explanation of the lives of the two narrators in the stories aforementioned in the beginning so that the readers can grasp the scenes of the story. Both the stories follow the genre of horror and fear as the author shows psychological trauma and fear in the characters that are being played by the narra tors. These themes can be clearly seen in the quote taken from the story ‘The Tell Tale Heart’ which says ‘I cut off the head and the arms and the legs’(Poe 7). ... â€Å"The Tell Tale Heart† and â€Å"The Black Cat† depict the extent to which a human being can go and the narrative serves to explain the reader that the narrators are not as mentally sound as they argues that they are. The mental state of both the narrators can clearly be said to be inappropriate even though they argue that they are sane enough. In both the stories the narrators are the killers and they kill for reasons that are only known to them. It can be seen that both the works have quite a lot of similarities but upon close analysis it can also be seen that the works have a difference. In the ‘The Black Cat’ the narrator kills the cat and his wife unintentionally whereas in â€Å"The Tell Tale† the narrator plans out to kill the old man as he fears his eye. Poe places the factor of anger differently in both the stories as it is seen that the narrator in â€Å"The Black Cat† takes out his anger on a living thing that can possibly not r esist. However in â€Å"The Tell Tale† it is seen that the narrator takes out anger on a person who can resist. It is also seen that the beginning in both the stories is different as in ‘The Tell Tale’ the narrator gives out the ending in the opening paragraphs whereas in ‘The Black Cat’ the narrator gives the whole account at the end of the story. The plot of the stories is shown differently to the readers by Poe to but in the end both the narrators are caught for the crime that they commit. In conclusion it can be said that Poe has written two classical works in the genre of horror to present the insanity of individuals in a different perspective. He has used the object of fear as a tool to describe the scenes in the stories so that the readers

Analizying Poems Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Analizying Poems - Essay Example In sum, the poems sound like reminders for human beings to adjust their actions, perspectives and livelihoods in order for them to live in ways that are sensitive to some of the issues that lie hidden away from unperceiving eye, and which cause much of human suffering that is witnessed in the modern world. The Sound of Silence Garfunkel’s poem, â€Å"The Sound of Silence,† illustrates a moment of awakening for the speaker. In the first line, he refers to darkness as an â€Å"old friend,† (Garfunkel 1). The hidden meaning is that the speaker has lived with or in this darkness for a long time. Symbolically, this darkness represents ignorance and a general loss of direction and common sense. In a broad sense, this poem invites the readers to examine their own live in order to redeem themselves from systems of darkness, which systematically prevent them from the pleasures and joy of reality. In lines 12 and 13, the speaker talks of , â€Å"When my eyes were stabbed by the flash of a neon light/ That split the night,† (Garfunkel 12, 13). This moment appears to be the supreme moment of awakening. Symbolically, the darkness could imply the common misconceptions, prejudices, dogma, indoctrination and other kinds of information that cannot stand the test of credibility. Such systems have the effect of blinding humanity from the real truths. They are also the causes of suffering, conflicts, and other ills, which afflict societies. This poem is a mockery to the modern discourse of communication and human existence, which have eroded the natural sense of humanity. The poem relies significantly on figurative language to make meaning out of the many issues of general human interest. The poet directs the readers to some of the important issues that are often ignored by humanity in their rash to meet their daily needs. Generally, the poet seeks to remind humanity of some of the basic concerns that must be addressed in order for people to live in tot ality. By assigning the quality of sound to silence, the poet employs the technique of inversion and contrast to achieve his thematic objectives. Blowin’ in the Wind In the poem â€Å"Blowin’ in the Wind† the poet uses the technique of questioning to interrogate some of the weaknesses that prevent people from finding solutions to issues that appear to be quite ordinary. The question, â€Å"How many...?,† is repeated severally throughout the poem. At every instance, the question is directed towards a different subject, which, in essence, comprises the underlying themes in the poem. Such themes include death and suffering, negligence, loveless relations, reward, recognition and the permanence of phenomena. The persona delves into multiple issues that concern a range of subjects of human interest. In the first two lines, the poet appears to hint at the theme of human struggle: â€Å"How many roads must a man walk down/ Before you call him a man?† (Dyl an 1, 2). This line captures the futility of human efforts, which lead man to engage in multiple struggles, which are often poorly rewarded. This line reads like an indictment to the unfeeling world that fails to recognize the selfless struggles and sacrifice that some people engage into for the sake of improving the welfare of the society. This line could apply to themes of poor working conditions in the modern employment sector and other roles that fail to attract the necessary rewards and acknowledgement from people. The other question, â€Å"

Literature On Solid Waste Management In Nigeria Environmental Sciences Essay

Literature On Solid Waste Management In Nigeria Environmental Sciences Essay Research both past and present into solid waste in Nigeria like most developing countries with an absence of adequate solid waste management system has been focused more on adequate collection and disposal options than on the waste generators, storage or even an avenue for waste reduction which aids in reuse and recycling, hence creating major gaps. These gaps are areas that need to address to ensure that there is a sustainable management of solid waste generated to prevent environmental hazards. 2.1.1 Purpose of the Literature Review This chapter review gives an overview of the situation of solid waste management in developing countries critically examining and summarising studies by various researchers in academic books, professional and academic journals, published and unpublished works and electronic media. This literature review would aid in identifying appropriate methodology to achieve the aim of this research. In addition, source separation a relatively understudied concept has been identified and recommended by many researchers as an avenue for waste reduction. It has also been suggested as providing alternative means of practicing proper waste management apart from collection and disposal. (Cointreau-Levine Gopalan, 2000:Imam et al, 2008) This study into institutional solid waste management with the aim of identifying dynamics that influence/affect separation at source at households in the campus will create a means of addressing waste reduction and proper implementation of solid waste management options. According to UNEP (2005), the logical starting point for the proper management of solid waste is to reduce the amounts of waste managed, either informally within the generators site or formally (externally) by another entity once the waste is discarded by the generator. Thereby reducing waste quantities collected or otherwise managed. 2.1.2 Literature Search The search for literature can be very time consuming and futile if proper strategies are not developed. To aid in the literature search, the following was prepared: Firstly, the topic, boundary (Developing countries: Nigeria) and problem statement was agreed on. Then I identified of the disciplines with a stake in solid waste. They include: Health, Science and Technology Waste Waste Management Environmental Urban Secondly, Keywords broad and narrow were developed. They are: Municipal Solid waste , Solid waste Management Institutional Solid Waste Separation at source , Source separation Waste segregation, separation Household solid waste manag* Participation/Incentives in solid waste Motivating factors, attitudinal behaviours Solid waste management in Nigeria University of Benin To this end, the author sought the advice of the WEDC resource centre manager. She showed me books and journals on solid waste (management) but told me that most of the journals were available online for latest on any research and my search will be more extensive using the internet. She also recommended the use of Loughborough University, search engine Metalib, for searching and interrogation of the various databases for articles and journals on the subject matter (Science direct, CSA illumina) Following her recommendation and my initial write up, a data interrogation search was done using Metalib on the following database using the keywords above, either truncated, with * or adding two keyword together using the OR because the AND was giving irrelevant data . Environmental Sciences and Pollution management Abstracts (CSA Illumina) Aqualine (CSA Illumina) Science Direct From this site, the following journals were found with relevant data. Waste Management Waste Management and Research Habitat International Environmental Management Resource, Conservation and Recycling Google Search Engine and Goggle Scholar were searched using the keywords above. The sources of information obtained include: More Journals articles from the above stated journals Solid waste Management Volume 1:United Nation Environmental Programme (UNEP) J.C Agunwanba:(Google scholar) with articles on Waste management in some parts of Nigeria The World Bank; Urban Solid Waste management (community initiatives) WEDC WELL factsheets and studies: solid waste management I chose this approach to ensure an extensive and appropriate search in all areas of solid waste management and Research into developing countries of which Nigeria is apart. My use of the Internet was to ensure that as many recent journals, conferences and researches in Nigeria are available for scrutiny. This systematic review will initially focus on identifying waste characteristics and components, then the roles and involvement of the different stakeholders, their attitudes and perspectives towards waste and finally the different concepts of source separation as it is practiced. This would help in analyzing and recognizing the past and present problems and solutions in cities and universities in developing countries especially Nigeria. The summary section would scrutinize the methodologies used in the above reviewed literature and its adaptation for use in this research. Also included are the main findings from the reviewed literature and the gaps in knowledge this research aims to address. 2.2 Solid waste management practices in Developing countries. In an attempt to accelerate the pace of its industrial development, an economically developing nation may fail to pay adequate attention to solid waste management. Such a failure incurs a severe penalty later in the form of reusable resources needlessly lost and a staggering adverse impact on the environment and on public health and safety.(UNEP, 2005) This is the problem presently facing most developing countries: rapid population growth due to rapid urban development hence more waste to manage. (Singhal Pandey, 2001) 2.2.1 Waste Generation and Composition The saying goes that if you can measure it you can manage it this is a viewpoint that is especially important and a solution that most developing countries have not been able to accomplish in solid waste management. There is no measure of the waste generated and so management becomes difficult and inefficient. According to( Vaughan , 1971), information on the composition and quantity of solid waste is indispensable to design, implementation and operation of any solid waste management system of today and helps to forecast the requirements of tomorrow. As stated above most developing countries are plagued with solid waste management problems that are degrading the urban environment and posing a serious threat to the natural resources and consequently holding back development (Sujauddin.,M., et al 2008) solving this problem will require knowledge about the per capital waste generated, composition and also attitudes towards waste. The authors found that there are many variables that affect the composition and the quantities of waste generated this include population growth, the socioeconomic factors (income, education, age, land ownership) which is the reverse for most developed countries. The major constituents of developing countries waste is about 66% organic, which is about 30% of the total waste generated showing that composting, would be a very good way of waste management (recycling). (ibid) 2.2.2 Institutional Arrangement The key institutions responsible for solid waste management services include public sector, formal private sector, informal private sector and community based non-governmental organisations. (ABC, 1988) The proper identification of their roles and responsibilities has been cited as a major influence in a sustainable solid waste management. At present, the public sector is responsible for service delivery of solid waste management in most developing countries and they are finding it difficult due to the rapid explosion in population growth hence more waste to manage. Some major problems that affect the municipalities inadequacy to provide good solid waste system include poor planning, lack of experienced staff, inappropriate equipments and technology, insufficient funds and landfill sites for disposal.( Coad, 2005: Hossain Siwar 2002). Collection, transportation and disposal have been a major problem in delivering efficient solid waste management services. In India cities collection efficiency is between 40 -70 % due to inadequate transport capacity and deficient workforce even with the municipalities allocation of 85-90% of the total budget to the service (Nema, 2004: Sharholy et al 2008) To rectify this inadequacy and provide better services some sources have recommended institutional changes like privatization transferring of the responsibilities to private sector while the public sector deals with policies and regulations (Hossain Siwar, 2002: Cointreau-Levine et al, 2000: World Bank,2003). The authors have argued that privatization will reduce the burden on government, increase the efficiency and effectiveness of municipal solid waste (MSW) services, decreases costs, source reduction and improve recycling thereby reducing the waste that goes for final disposal and increasing the life cycle of disposal sites. They also state that this can only work with sustainable frameworks supported by viable government policies and regulations. Poor solid waste management creates serious threat to human health and well-being especially with indiscriminate open dumping which clogs drains and sewerage creating breeding grounds for rodents and insects leading to disease spread and ground water contamination.( Majani,2000:Gonzenbach. Coad, 2007: Kumar et al, 2009) To aid in proper solid waste management certain cities have set rules (Bennagen et al ,2002: Sarkhel Banerjee, 2009) to necessitate the mandatory segregation of waste at generators level and also the concordance between collection and disposal facilities to ensure the establishment of local recycling and composting plants. The study showed that households were ready to participate and their participation would increase if there was going to be regular collection, variable user charges and appropriate garbage collection i.e. not collecting both recyclables and other waste in the same vehicle. (Bennagen et al., 2002) Informal Sector The role of the informal sector (waste pickers, scavengers, sweepers) in solid waste management is identified as been crucial in waste reduction though to what amount it cannot be effectively determined.(Wilson et al , 2006). Most of their activities are driven by the need to supplement income and to reduce poverty. They operate at all levels in the solid waste chain from generation to disposal removing the recyclables and trading it. These waste pickers with organisation and support would create jobs for the minority in the society, reduce poverty, save municipalities money, improve industrial competitiveness, conserve natural resources and protect the environment. The government in many developing countries: Argentina, Brazil, India, Uruguay, Colombia, Mexico have identified the necessities of recognising and identifying this stakeholders especially in light of attaining Goal 7 of the millennium development goals thereby creating an inclusive, socially desirable, economically viabl e and environmentally sound solid waste management system. Waste pickers activities are recognised for their role in reducing the waste to be collected transported and disposed e.g. Jakarta 25% reduction. (Medina, 2008) 2.2.3 Attitudes and Preferences Attitude is termed in this study as the feeling and thoughts while perception is insight and awareness which encourages participation. To ensure the sustainability of any SWM system there has to be a change of government perception to that of recognising the importance of people. The current global challenges of urban solid waste (Ali, 2006(Ed)) states demand a people centred approach, change in public attitude to consumption and increased relationship between the people and the government. With new approaches to waste management to tackle the challenges of the increased waste generated by the population, increased cost of waste management leads to increase user charges. This (ibid) stated will only be sustainable if the government recognises the importance of people in planning, designing and operating any solid waste system. Bisson (2002) stated that since waste is a product of human behaviour, to maintain a good waste management we need information on the behaviour and attitude of people with regard to waste and accurate data on waste generation Source separation and other recycling practices at households is greatly supported in its role to reduction of waste, municipality costs but in practice might not be successful because of the understanding of funds and the workload involved. (Chung S.S C.S Poon, 1996: Ghorbani et al, 2007). The authors concluded that economic incentives as well as education about environmental benefits of waste separation by householders would result in active participation of people in separating wastes in the home. Chung S.S C.S Poon (1996) further found that consumption rate might increase if waste is recycled hence education awareness programs. They suggested that the involvement of all household members and not only the housewives, binary not multiple separation schemes will further increase its success rate. One likely consequence of households paying close attention to their refuse is that people will become more aware of the waste they generate and will become less wasteful thus saving resources and further reducing collection costs. (Kassim, 2006) Various authors (Bennagen., June 2002: Sujauddin.,M., et al 2008) have reported that there is an eagerness for communities to participate in solid waste management schemes, pay for services but the payment should not be unit but as per user and with government support. 2.2.4 Source Separation Source separation according to GDRC (n.d) is the setting aside of compostable and recyclable materials from the waste stream before they are collected with other MSW, to facilitate reuse, recycling, and composting. During the UN conference in Johannesburg in 2002 reduction of waste through source separation was affirmed as one of the steps, which the local government can implement to maximize environmental sound waste use, recycling and diversion of useful materials from the waste stream. Facing the problems of solid waste management, (Strange, K 2002: UNEP, 2005) argues can be done through plans and programs which encourage source separation and this he stated will help in minimising waste for disposal. Schà ¼beler et al (1996) further added that the introduction of source separation ought to be in a pragmatic and incremental manner beginning with pilot activities to access and encourage the interest and willingness of users to participate. In most developing countries, the practice of source separation is by the informal sector at a very small scale. In cities of developing countries, source separation provides a means of employment, reduces the total amount of waste for disposal, and at landfills through the support of governing bodies and community based organisation (Lardinios Furedy, 1999: Fehr et al, 2009) Waste separation increases the quality of produced compost and recyclables, and optimizes incineration. It also enables better financing of waste management activities and minimizes the energy and labour inputs to any downstream processes (Murray, 1999). Source-separation pilot programs have been tested in some developing countries but total recovery of recyclables have been hindered due to the large amount of water contents in the waste and high percentage of food waste food waste (Zhuang et al,2007: Tadesse., 2008), The motivations for materials separation and reuse in developing countries include: scarcity or expense of virgin materials; the level of absolute poverty; income supplement, the frugal values of even relatively well-to-do households; and the large markets for used goods and products made from recycled plastics and metals. (UNEP, 2005: Sarkhel Banerjee, 2009: Fehr et al, 2009) Fehr et al (2009) further recommended the introduction of legal instruments within a municipal model that mandate source separation and encourages educational and legal measures for solid waste management success. (Joseph, 2006; Zhuang et al, 2007: Fehr et al, 2009 agree that any source separation program needs people centred participation, monitoring, awareness creation and support. Below are some of the advantages of source separated over co-mingled waste Table 1 Separate/mixed collection Separate Collection Mixed Collection Extends landfill life. Removes potential recyclables from the waste stream. Lowers net disposal costs. Done by the household. No extra cost for the community. Highly applicable to residential waste. Industrial waste may be recycled through industrial waste exchanges. An effective and reliable tool for recycling. Can be implemented on small-scale, then expanded. Recyclables are usually uncontaminated by garbage and other debris It is not time or space consuming for the residents. The facility does not need additional space to handle recyclables. Basic technology is needed The effectiveness of the collection system does not depend on how people prepare recyclables. There is no need for established secondary markets Guidelines for Municipal Solid Waste Management in the Mediterranean Region ( ) 2.2.5 Solid waste practices in universities of developing countries Higher institutions have the responsibility of having high moral and ethical obligation to the environment because they are expected to produce leaders in environmental protection movement. Armijo de Vega (2008) research acknowledges the good use of campuses as a case study for solid waste management (SWM) options for the following reasons; Not much has not been reported on the topic, They been independent to a great extent, campuses can accommodate pioneering SWM approaches that can filter down to other communities later, Thirdly, since it involves students at various levels it can serve to sensitize as well as easily train them in good SWM practices, and Finally, SWM practices adopted by higher education institutions have a great potential of being adopted by surrounding communities because these institutions generally are held in high esteem. The efforts towards responsible waste management should stem from these institutions. Besides, appropriate waste management would bring benefits to the institution such as a reduction of the financial resources destined to waste management, but, above all, it would set an example to the students and the community. (Mbuligwe .2002: Maldonado, 2006) Furthermore the authors discovered that the type of waste generated on campus (recyclables and organic) provides a lot of avenue for reuse, recycling and recovery thereby reducing the quantity of waste disposed in landfill by more than 60%.(ibid) 2.3 Solid waste management Practices in Nigeria 2.3.1 Waste Composition Nigeria is a nation that exemplifies chronic solid waste management problems in conjunction with population growth. It is the most populous country in Africa, with over 120 million residents (World Bank 1996), and over the past 50 years, has had the third largest urban growth rate in the world at 5.51% annually (UNWUP 1999). In Nigeria though there has been some studies into the determination of waste composition and generation to enhance the provision of solid waste management services, this studies are outdated (Adedibu 1985) or have been done at the landfills (Mbuligwe., 2002). This does not take into consideration the quantities of waste that are separated by the waste pickers and animals before collection. (Ogwueleka, 2009: Iman et al 2008 ) agree that indistinctive legislative policies and regulation, lack of data on the generated waste, inappropriate technology for collection and disposal, no planned framework and inadequate population characteristics are some of the factors affecting the knowledge of municipal solid waste composition in Nigeria to develop better disposal methods. Other factors include political, economic and social. The majority of substances composing municipal solid waste include paper, vegetable matter, plastics, metals, textile, rubber and glass (Ogwueleka, 2009:Imam., 2008). They found that the major component of solid waste is organic waste (40-64%) which is wetter, corrosive with high density (Ogwueleka, 2009)and agree that composting will be an adequate solid waste practice to reduce the waste especially (Iman et al 2008) with the removal of government subsidies for the sale of fertilizers creating a market for it. Controlled landfill (Adedibu, 1985) stated is another SWM option for disposal. This is not recommendable because of the complex technology and funds which the government cannot provide. Efficient recycling and composting could save 18.6% in waste management costs and 57.7% in landfill cost (Agunwamba, 1998). Waste characteristics vary according to season, population, climate, and industrial production, the size of markets for waste materials and the extent of urbanization, effectiveness of recycling, and work reduction. (Ogwueleka, 2009). Other factors affecting increased waste generation among residents in Nigeria cities are change in social economic and educational circumstance. 2.3.2 Attitudes and Perceptions According to (Agunwamba, 2003: Iman et al 2008) public awareness, social ideals, beliefs and attitudes to waste can affect all stages in the solid waste management process. This has an impact on household waste storage, waste segregation, recycling, collection frequency, littering and fly-tipping (illegal dumping), willingness to pay for waste management services, and the level and type of opposition to waste treatment and disposal facilities. In Nigeria, the general public attitude towards waste management is poor. . A man may live in a neatly kept house but refuse to cooperate with his fellow residents in keeping the surroundings of the building clean. As long as the waste materials are not inside his house, he feels no concern. Government attitude towards solid waste management is the introduction of in appropriate technology without the consultation of the people using the services (Agunwamba, 1998). In addition, they consider the informal sector a menace (Ogwueleka, 2009) and try all means to eradicate them. Most Nigerians associated wealth with lavish spending, which generates much waste as a by-product. They perceive waste pickers/workers as poor and so make little or no effort to cooperate in waste management activities. Similarly, in homes waste removal to bins classified as childrens work. Since the bins were not designed with, their small stature wastes are dumped on the ground, creating more work for the waste workers and increasing collection time reducing efficiency. (ibid) As for the waste workers, poor remuneration and stagnation in promotion has created a reduced interest in proper solid waste management. They go about doing their jobs haphazardly. The poor attitude to waste been exhibited can be changed with proper enlightenment programs and patient extension efforts that are reinforced continuously even after project completion. This will negate ignorance, materialistic tendencies, and apathy and reinforce their responsibility to the environmental. (Agunwamba, 1998) 2.3.3 Institutional Arrangement With knowledge of the illegal dumping of toxic waste in June 1988, (Adegoroye., 1994) the Federal Environmental Protection Agency (FEPA) was created. The landmark Federal legislation on environmental protection in Nigeria was the decree Number 58 of 1988, which established the Federal Environmental Protection Agency (FEPA). The specific role of FEPA with respect to solid waste management is to (Onibokun, 1999): Study the most reliable systems that are appropriate for local, domestic and industrial wastes. Specify waste disposal and treatment methods that take into consideration the geological and environmental setting and encourage recycling. Specify waste disposal sites that guarantee the safety of surface and underground water systems. Set up and enforce standards for adequate sanitary facilities for the disposal of human and other solid wastes in dwellings, housing estates and public facilities in both urban and rural areas. Establish monitoring programmes including periodic surveillance of approved waste disposal sites and their surroundings and waste water systems. Establish monitoring stations for the control of the disposal of leachate from dumpsites into surface water and groundwater systems Under this Act, all states and local government set up their own environmental protection body for the protection and improvement of the environment within its jurisdiction. In 1999 (Ogwueleka, 2009), FEPA was taken over by the Federal Ministry of Environment to combat some of the challenges faced which include absence of pollution waste management laws, lack of environmental enforcement, funding, role conflicts power play between FEPA workers and some powerful individuals whose companies not ready to pay for services. It still conformed to all the regulation stated above but even with this change of hands, there was still inadequate provision of solid waste services in Nigeria. According to (Imam et al, 2008: Ogwueleka, 2009) solid waste management in Nigeria is characterised by in efficient collection methods, insufficient coverage of the collection system and improper disposal. Lack of institutional arrangement, insufficient funds absence of standards and by-laws, insufficient information on waste composition and quantity, inflexible work schedule and inappropriate technology transfer are the common constraints faced by environmental agencies in solid waste management.75-95% of the revenue of solid waste is spent on collection and disposal and only 40-70% is collected from the urban areas. Most of the rural areas have no SWM facility. Presently emphasis is been focused on better institutional arrangement through privatization and less on collection and disposal due to the inadequate government service delivery. Privatization is been tested in cities like Abuja (Imam., 2008), Lagos (Ogwueleka, 2009) and Benin (Ogu., 2000) but have not improved the service delivery due to all the factors above including corruption, lack of planning of route service delivery, affordability and acceptability. Finally, (Ogwueleka, 2009) argued that since in Nigeria there is an abundance of cheap labour the use of a low capital cost and labour intensive solution that reduces poverty will be preferred. It should include low technology like handcarts and pickup trucks for collection, informal sector involvement (waste pickers), training, local waste recycling and reduction projects, transfer stations to reduce operating cost, community participation and involvement. In conclusion Adegoreyo, (1994) stated that stable leadership and firm commitment of government in formative years to any enforcement programme with set goals, objectives and responsibilities including capacity building should be uttermost to ensure the improvements. 2.3.4 Source Separation Studies into source separation in Nigeria though it is highly relevant according to most researchers are not been preformed. (Onibokun., 1999: Ogu., 2000: Agunwamba, 2003).This has constrained the author to review literature of other developing countries, implementation methods and success rate of source separation to infer if it will adequate for Nigeria. The scavengers do little or no form of recycling it is more of reuse. (Agunwamba, 2003) Informal Practices In Nigeria, gifts of clothes and goods to relatives, charities, and servants as a means of source separation are significant in waste reduction. However, the greatest amount of materials recovery is achieved through the following: (a) Itinerant waste buyers (IWBs): These are waste collectors who often go from door-to-door, collecting specific recyclable materials and/or organic wastes from households, which they buy or barter. Individual IWBs tend to specialize in one or two kinds of materials. (b) Street waste picking: Secondary raw materials recovered from mixed waste found on streets or extracted from communal bins before collection. (c) Municipal waste collection crew: Secondary raw materials recovered from vehicles transporting waste to disposal sites. (d) Waste picking from dumps: Waste pickers/ scavengers sort through waste before it is covered at the site of final disposal, which is still generally open dumping in Nigeria. (Wilson et al, 2009) From the point of view of waste reduction, the traditional practices of repair and reuse, and the sale, barter, or gift-giving of used goods and surplus materials are an advantage to the poorer countries. Quantities of inorganic post-consumer wastes entering the MSW stream would be higher if these forms of waste reduction did not exist.(UNEP,2005) Formal Practices. There is no formal practice in place for source separation at present although Federal Ministry of Environment (2000) specified in the Blue print for municipal solid waste management (MSWM) in Nigeria that separation at source is one of the viable alternatives/complement to an integrated solid waste management programme. 2.3.5 Solid waste practices in universities in Nigeria 2.4 Solid waste practices in University of Benin, Benin-City Solid waste management in the university is the collection and disposal of waste. The waste generated is placed in bins for collection. There is no informal sector to do any separation though some of the waste workers salvage the useful recyclables for reuse but this does not even account for up to 1% of the total amount generated. Most times the waste generated is so much that not all the waste is removed during collection so decomposition begins on the left over waste, which will cause bad odours and breeding grounds for rodents and disease carrying insects. Some leachates are also produced which might pollute the land and water around. The final disposal site for the waste is an open dump that allows further pollution because there is no control over waste deposited or the by-products of open dump disposal. Without adequate attention, there is a major risk to the health of the staff and students in the university and to the environment. 3. Summary of Literature Review 3.1 Methodologies Most of the researches into waste characterization were studied using quantitative and qualitative methods (questionnaires, interviews, observation, focus groups and fieldwork) this is to ensure the viability of the studies and close the loop (Chung S.S Poon C.S.,1996: Ghorbani M. et al , 2007:Imam., 2008). For sampling, random sampling was employed since some information about the sample space is known

Analysis of the Canadian Human Rights Act :: Human Rights Canada Alcohol Trade Essays

Analysis of the Canadian Human Rights Act The Canadian Human Rights Act prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability and perceived disability. Disability includes those with a previous or existing dependence on alcohol or a drug. Perceived disability may include an employer’s perception that a person’s use of alcohol or drugs makes him or her unfit to work. Because they cannot be established as bona fide occupational requirements, the following types of testing are not acceptable: †¢ Pre-employment drug testing †¢ Pre-employment alcohol testing †¢ Random drug testing †¢ Random alcohol testing of employees in non-safety-sensitive positions. The following types of testing may be included in a workplace drug- and alcohol-testing program, but only if an employer can demonstrate that they are BONA FIDE OCCUPATIONAL REQUIREMENTS: †¢ RANDOM ALCOHOL TESTING OF EMPLOYEES IN SAFETY SENSITIVE POSITIONS: Alcohol testing has been found to be a reasonable requirement because alcohol testing can indicate actual impairment of ability to perform or fulfill the essential duties or requirements of the job. Random drug testing is prohibited because, given its technical limitations, drug testing can only detect the presence of drugs and not if or when an employee may have been impaired by drug use. †¢ DRUG OR ALCOHOL TESTINIG FOR REASONABLE CAUSE OR POST-ACCIDENT: where there are reasonable grounds to believe there is an underlying problem of substance abuse or where an accident has occurred due to impairment from drugs or alcohol, provided that testing is a part of a broader program of medical assessment, monitoring and support. †¢ PERIODIC OR RANDOM TESTING FOLLOWING DISCLOSURE OF A CURRENT DRUG OR ALCOHOL DEPENDENC /ABUSE PROBLEM may be acceptable if tailored to individual circumstances and as part of a broader program of monitoring and support. Usually, a designated rehabilitation provider will determine whether follow-up testing is necessary for a particular individual. †¢ MANDATORY DISCLOSURE OF PRESENT OR PAST ALCOHOL DEPENDENCY/ABUSE: may be permissible for employees holding safety-sensitive positions, within certain limits, and in concert with accommodation measures. Generally, employees not in safety-sensitive positions should not be required to disclose past alcohol or drug problems. Under these limited circumstances where testing is justified, employees who test positive must be accommodated to the point of undue hardship. The Canadian

Step by Wicked Step

STEP BY WICKED STEP Themes  ~ Step By Wicked Step Family relationships Coping with new family members for example Pixie understands that her new stepmother is having as much trouble ‘adjusting’ as she is. Family unity The nucleus of moral values, â€Å"the family unit,† is being invaded by outsiders (‘step’ or ‘steps’) and this causes disharmony. Dealing with adversities Young children and adults may find difficulties dealing with frustrations, fears and sadness. Being happy ‘Life has dealt us one hard blow, there is no reason for us to be unhappy for ever’. For example, Claudia realises it is not fair to hate her new stepmother, Stella.Think long enough before making a decision Richard Harwick made a rash decision to run away and that had changed the lives of his stepfather, mother and sister. Sibling rivalry Resentful step-siblings cause burden and hostility in a home. Coping with change All pain eventually heals and that we have the power to change things for the better. Being brave Characters like Claudia and Pixie are brave as they confess to their own rotten behaviour. Dealing with Separation and Divorce It deals with a social phenomenon that many people are experiencing, the idea of a divorce as somehow horrible.Separation and divorce, and the events leading up to them, interrupts the stability and predictability that children need. STEP BY WICKED STEP Synopsis By Chapter  ~ Step By Wicked Step Chapter 1- Chapter 7 Step By Wicked Step – Chapter 1 It is raining. Mr. Plumley and five pupil from Stagfire School are going to a haunted   house in a minibus. Ralpha, Claudia, Robbo, Collin and Pixie have been picked out by Miss O’Dell and herded into the minibus with Mr. Plumley. When they reach Creepsville, they think it is haunted. The last group tells tales of strange shadows and  footsteps and eerie figures in white gown   melting through the walls.There are no lights and Mr. Plumley is horrified to settle the pupils in pitch dark. They  go upstairs as they pass by oil painted portraits of Harwicks of all ages staring at them. As it is a rainy night, Pixie preferred safety in numbers. They have a rule â€Å"each bedroom is for either girls or boys. † Mr. Plumley does not know the rule. He tells the pupils to settle in while   he goes to look for the housekeeper. Robbo decides to explore two or three more stairs. He finds two more beds and a bathroom. The boys take the present room meanwhile Claudia and Pixie take the other. Colin points at the wall. He insists there is a door on the wall.When there is lightning, all of them see the wall papered door meeting the wall papered wall. As they enter the room, cobwebs indicate no one has been there. A tower off a tower. The shelf, desk and chair are filled with dust. Claudia sees a wooden cow balancing on   three legs. She strokes its nose. Suddenly, she hears a soft sound behind her. Robbo sets a globe of the world to spin on its axis. By looking around, they came to a conclusion that the last child who slept in it came from a rich family. They find out it is a boy’s room. Claudia notices a dusty green album in spidery writing on the cover. Richard Clayton Harwick – My Story.Read  and Weep. They hear the faint rumble of the bus. The other children have arrived. The 5 children rush to their rooms and pretend to be fast asleep. They do not want to miss the chance to read the album. Not many get a chance to peep   into someone else’s life and not many people are brave enough to tell you their story. By the time Miss O’Dell and Mr. Plumley come to the first tower room, they think that the children are fast asleep due to tiredness. Miss O’Dell continues to say that the five children have something in common. Mr. Plumley is puzzled as nothing seemed to be common in the five. Pixie is a trouble maker.Claudia is sensible. Ralph is quick-witted and hardworking unlike Colin who likes to   daydream. Robbo is soccer-mad. As Miss O’Dell goes down, the lights come again. She shuts the tower door leaving the five children who have been listening to their conversation. Step By Wicked Step – Chapter 2 The five children are waiting in an old house for the rest of their school group to arrive. They come across an old manuscript written by a boy who ran away when his mother remarried after his father’s death. Richard’s Story- Master Richard’s father had a fever. His mother tried her best to coax his father to eat something- but it was of no use.Richard asked George the gardener about his father. Richard calls him Mr Digby. Mr Digby did not answer him but hugged him hard instead. Lucy the maid sat by Richard’s bedside. When Richard asked if it was going to be today,she placed her finger on his lips and said â€Å"Hush! Don’t even speak of it. Little Charlotte called out to Richard a nd told him that Papa wanted to see him. He dashed as fast as he could. He came across Reverend Coldstone but did not stop although he was asked to. The reverend was angry. His mother was waiting at the doorway and reminded him not to cry.His father asked him to be good to his mother and sister. His last words were –â€Å"Obey your mother’s wishes to the letter. At the chapel, Mr. Coldstone consoled his mother. Richard heard him say -â€Å"When you are mine†¦Ã¢â‚¬ . Richard studied at Mordanger school. He hated it there. Now he was home. Charlotte realized that Richard hated his stepfather. Richard accuses that Charlotte had forgotten about their father. Charlotte denied it and advised him not to accuse Mr Coldstone as the murderer when their father died of fever. Nevertheless, Richard had decided to leave the three of them. Richard wrote in his diary that he worked in a ship.Whenever he wrote about Mr Coldstone, he refered to him as the ‘black batâ€℠¢. Twice his ship stopped at his hometown and he visited his home only to stand like a trespasser. It had been a long time since Richard had been home. Suddenly, he saw a note on the Captain’s table. He found out that his mother and stepfather had died. Charlotte wrote him a letter. In the letter, Charlotte wrote that things had been difficult as their mother spent a lot of money looking for him and they all suffered Mr Coldstone’s anger. Charlotte married Charles Devere although she did not love him because he had money and was willing to spend it to look for Richard.This would be the only letter from her. Step By Wicked Step – Chapter 3 Claudia’s Story: Green Pyjamas Claudia’s Mum and Dad quarreled a lot. One day, her Dad was gone to Granny’s house. However, he dropped by for tea. Claudia overheard the name â€Å"Stella†. Her Mum and even Granny had a row with Dad. Dad usually met Claudia at Granny’s. She missed her Dad so mu ch. The times spent with her Dad kept flooding back. She wanted things back the way they used to be. For the first time, Claudia had a separate Christmas. Later, she was introduced to Stella who was just plain and mousy. Claudia thought her mum was a whole lot better-looking than Stella.Claudia was rude when they went for a walk. Once back, they quarreled and the next day, Dad moved out of Granny’s house straight into with Stella. Claudia met her Dad off and on. Stella stayed out of it. She only made some light conversation with Claudia like asking about her friends and school. Those moments she would be thinking of her mum doing the house chores. After talking to her friend, Shreela, Claudia stopped blaming Stella. Dad and Stella arranged a party for their friends. Claudia was sent there for the day. Politely, she excused herself from the party and stayed in her room. Stella was relieved.Out of curiosity, Claudia decided to eavesdrop. She wore the green pyjamas given by Stel la as it was the exact shade of green of the giant fern. She sat beside the fern and listen to everything the adults downstairs were talking. The guests spoke about everything except about Mum, Dad, Stella or Claudia. Nobody praised Stella for the food nor even spoke to her. Claudia found that very rude as her Mum was not there. Claudia, unable to stand the treatment Stella was getting, made a grand appearance at the party and thanked Stella for the beautiful pyjamas she had brought for her. Finally, everyone started noticing Stella.As for Claudia and Stella, this was the starting point. Stella would teach Claudia how to quilt, read maps, change electric plugs and how to skate. Step By Wicked Step – Chapter 4 Colin describes his stepfather whom he calls dad. He has thought of him as his biological father all the while. His dad looks like him. His dad has dark hair with some grey patches around his ears. His dad used to roll his own cigarettes out of tobacco in a tin. His dad calls him by many nick names- Col, Collie, Sonny-boy, Buster, Mr Bluebird. Colin’s mum works in a shop. His dad walks him to school and back.His dad got him his tea and took him to the park. At the park, he used to swing as high as the bar, he swings back in such a way that his dad would call him –The Bluebird of Happiness. Then, Colin’s mum took him and moved away. It happened when Colin’s father had gone to spend a day with his sister. Two friends of his mum came with a van and packed everything. Then they went off. At first, he thought his dad will join them later. Colin was not happy- school mates would snigger when he did not understand things. Mum found a job at a canteen. She would be busy doing household chores when she came home.Mum was too busy to listen to him. He compared her with his dad- his dad used to talk to him and remembered names of his friends and teachers. Colin asked his mother many times about his dad. He wanted to know when his da d will come home. His mother did give him a hint about his father not having a proper job. He realized later that his mother did not leave any clues for his dad to follow. He then wrote a letter to his dad. But there was no reply. Every night, Colin would take the tobacco tin out of the toe of his boot and put it under his pillow. Then, he would hum his favourite song which was also his dad’s favourite.He would stay awake for hours talking to his dad. He pretended that his dad was there. Colin said that it was as if his mother thought that whatever is happening is actually happening only to her. Then one day when he returned home from school, he realized that his mum had thrown away his boots. The boots were too small for him but she did not know that there was a tobacco tin hidden in there. He did not bother to tell her because she wouldn’t have liked it. It has been five years, eight months and seven days and Colin still remembers hit dad. He secretly writes his dadà ¢â‚¬â„¢s name and his old address on the forms at school.Colin also tries to save money- he does three paper rounds. He will not try to look for his dad now- perhaps someday when he has enough money. Colin hums slowly and when asked to sing, he says that he is saving the words till he finds his dad. It was his favourite song- The Bluebird of Happiness. His friend Ralph consoled him by saying that someday Colin will find his dad. Step By Wicked Step – Chapter 5 Ralph’s Story: A Tale of Three Stepmothers Ralph has two brothers, two half-brothers, one half-sister, three stepbrothers, one stepsister,three stepmothers, one stepfather, two step-grandmothers and a step-grandfather.Living in a big family is no joke. After school on Mondays and Thursdays, he goes directly to Dad’s place. His mum or his step dad, Howard sends him. On Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays, he goes straight to his Mum’s place. At times, he will be lost not knowing where to go. The lunchbo xes help. M for Mickey Mouse and Mum, D for Dumbo and Dad. If he is lost, he has to look at his lunch box to confirm his destination. Edward and George are his brothers. The boys liked Annabel, stepmother No. 1. The only problem was she never left the boys alone with their dad. Edward and George hated this.Dad and Annabel spent all their time kissing and cuddling. Annabel was always on a diet. She disapproved of coffee. So the boys had to drink Dandelion tea every morning. She loved to read out her star sign forecast in the mornings and again in the evenings. Sometimes, she even tried to look at Edward and George to tell their aura. However, the boys would deny anything she said. Yet, their dad would not feel embarrassed. One day, Brandy, Ralph’s cat was sent over as their Mum was varnishing the hall. The three boys took Brandy in a cage. Edward had made it from a broken milk bottle crate and bits of wire.Annabel was annoyed and blamed them to be cruel as Brandy did not have room to breathe. Dad distracted her by pointing out that they were out of bread. Annabel insisted in baking. The poor boys were starving to death. So, they went to the shops. They boys ate three large loaves and before they came home, they brushed away the crumbs. Dad was praising of how the dough had risen. When Annabel left it on the table, Brandy leapt up on the table and sniffed the dough. Then, Brandy lifted its paw and patted the dough. Next, Brandy curled himself comfortably into the dough. Annabel went mad. Dad tried to stick up for Brandy.The spell between Annabel and Dad was broken. In the end, Annabel ran off with someone and Dad searched high and low to get the divorce papers signed. The boys did not miss her as she was more of dad’s girlfriend than a real stepmother. Dad then focused his attention on Janet, who was more keen on rules. However, Dad liked it. Edward and George did not mind as they were able to spend ample time with Dad. On the other hand, Janet was busy rushing her children to the doctors, dentist and school. Janet’s own children, Tom, Joe and Doug and Ann moved in with the three boys. Tom and Ann could get along with Ralph but not Joe and Doug.Mum and Howard though Janet was wonderful. Janet could draw up proper schedule and Mum hardly bothered as she found Janet was easy to deal with. Due to the rules, Ralph knew he could pick up rules in no time if he was ever anywhere. Finally Janet left. She got fed up with Mum and Dad as they were taking advantage of her. Dad kept fixing up work trips on the days the boys were there. He told Janet that she had four children and another three would not make any difference. Mum started sneaking Victor’s romper suit hoping that Janet would come across them and get the stains out before sending them back. So, Janet left.The boys had a wonderful time after that. Unfortunately, it was only for a short period of time. Stepmother Number 3, Flora, came into the picture. Edward met her lying on Dad’s patio with hardly any clothes on. She had the cheek to tell Edward to cover up as she was enjoying the sun. George met Flora when they went shopping. Flora was dumping treats like strawberries, kiwi fruits, waffles, Belgian chocolates into the trolley. Dad was looking into the wallet, gloomily. Ralph went the next day. When he rang the bell, Flora opened and enquired. Ralph introduced himself. Flora blew her top as she did want to be a nanny.She took Ralph out for a Chinese Dinner and to watch a film. Then she met some friends and went to a coffee bar. At that time, Ralph informed his Dad of their whereabouts. Dad was furious and scolded Flora. Flora was cool and told him not to dump the children on her before checking her schedule. Ralph thought she was wonderful although she did all sorts of terrible things to him. Flora was pregnant and she ate only mint sauce sandwiches. Ralph was worried that his half sister or half brother would not be well taken care off by Flora. She did not know how and Ralph decided to help her out.The others usually teased Ralph. Most probably, Flora would settle in with this family. Step By Wicked Step -Chapter 6 When Pixie's parents divorced, Pixie was allowed to spend two weekends a month at her father's house which he had bought together with Lucy, her stepmother. Her two step sisters , Sophie and Hetty Payne, shared a room while Pixie was given a room to herself, as was agreed by her father. Pixie could not get along well withe her stepsisters and their actions annoyed her. One day, bothe her stepsisters got onvolved in a fight , and this caused Hetty to move into Pixie's room.Pixie was dissapointed as she was not consulted on the matter, and to make the matter worse, her father ingnored her complaints about Hetty moving into her room. Hetty's irritating behaviour also put Pixie's off. One day, while on a family holiday, Pixie had a fight with Sophie over who should occupy the top bunk bed , and both o f them ended up crying. As for Hettym Pixie just could not stand her even though Hetty was closer to her in age. Pixie was also jealous of Hetty as she was everyone's darling due to her good manners and intelligence in mathematics. Pixie then divised aplan to force Hetty out from her room.Intially, she tried to frighten Hetty with ghost story and also burden Hetty with schoolwork so that Hettty would be fed up with her and voluntarily leave her room. However, those trick was failed. Hetty than complained to Lucy. Lucy tried to talk to Pixie but failed. Instead, the two of them end up arguing. Pixie's father appeared then but quickly went out of the room again as he did not want to interfere. Lucy was dissapointed with Pixie for not putting with any effort to integrate and mix with the family. Pixie was dissapointed that there was nothing for her at Lucy's home.After expressing their frustrations and dissapointments, both Lucy and Pixie cried and the made up. Pixie was able to tolera te her stepsisters and Hetty help her with her homework. She also tried to be more sociable at Lucy's home. Step By Wicked Step – Chapter 7 Robbo's parents spilt up when he was only six years old. Robbo's father then moved out from their house and Robbo and his sister, Callie visited him at his place regularly. Robbo's stepfather, Roy moved to their home but Callie disliked him. She also nicknamed him as ‘The Beard' as Roy seemed to interfere with their family affairs.Their mother tthen give a birth to Dumpa, Robbo's half brother. One day, when Roy and their mather had a row, Callie tried to get their parents back together but failed. One day, Robbo's mother had a serious row with Roy over Callie's habit of pushing her bicycle through the narrow space between his car and the bushes beside it as it almost stratched Roy's car. They started shouting each other . Roy was angry as he felt his wife siding with Callie and that neither of them appreciated his effort in sending the kids to school or paying for food. Robbo's mother and Roy's efforts to solve the problem but they ended up arguing. he situation worsen whern Roy decided no to drive callie to school and sledging activities when snow started to fall. He even refused to buy her favourite brand of cerelas as she was not polite and civil to him. The next day, roy decide to clear the shed during the middle of a heavy snowfall with Dumoa following him. Robbo's mother tried to get Dumpa in, but he refused and only listened to Roy. Robbo then suceed in coaxing Dumpa into the house by offering him strawberry rocket ice lolly. From that day onward, their mother was always stuck in the middle as both Callie and Roy were unhappy and upset with each other.She also realised that the only solution to the problem is for her to move out her father's place. Robbo's father then suggested to his ex-wife to go on a holiday with Roy to help them solving the problem. He even offering to take care of Dumpa while there were away. The story ended with Robbo's optimistic view of his family as they can now start afresh. Ralph compared Robbo's story to Richard Harwick's story because his sister, Callie and Richared both did not like their stepfathers and had to leave their family. However, unlike Richard who ran away from his family, Callie tried something different in order to make things work at home.Ralph also mentioned that everyone in their group had tried their best to solve their problems at home. Claudia then put the journal back into its place, but took out Charlotte's little wooden cow, removed a tiny splinter, and gave the little wooden cow to Ralph who thrust it into Collin's bag , hoping that Colin would find his stepfather again. STEP BY WICKED STEP Characters and characterisation  ~ Step By Wicked Step Name of character| Descriptions/ Attributes/ Personality| Robbo| School pupil, sports-mad especially football|Ralph| School pupil, quick-witted, hardworking and occasionally likes to i ntercept impolitely during a conversation| Colin| School pupil, longs to be reunited with his stepdad, dreamy as ‘he drifts through the hours of each school day as if his thoughts were hundreds of miles away’ and this ‘ drove his teachers to despair’| Claudia| Steady, sensible, did not get along well with her stepmother at the beginning| Pixie| Fiery, a good reader, selfish| Richard ClaytonHarwick| Owner of Old Harwick Hall, lost his father at a very young age. His mother remarries the priest, Reverend Coldstone whose wrath Richard cannot stand.He runs away, without knowing that he has made a decision that will change three lives; his stepfather’s, mother’s and sister’s. When he inherits Old Harwick Hall, he has lost his three closest members of the family. | Rev. Coldstone| Richard’s wicked stepfather, strict and cold-hearted| Mr. Plumley| A staff of the school who accompanies the children to Old Harwick Hall| Miss O’ Del l| The school teacher who picks five of the children on a trip after a quick glance at her list. | Mr. Digby| Gardener at the Harwick’s household| Lucy| Maid at the Harwick’s household|Charlotte| Richard Clayton Harwick’s sister. | STEP BY WICKED STEP Moral Values  ~ Step By Wicked Step Family is everything This is the main message in all the five stories from Claudia, Ralph, Colin, Pixie and Robbo. Love is the factor that binds the family together but sometimes the family unit breaks down due to a lack of understanding between parents. Most of the time, children are not prepared for such a situation and this lands them in an awkward and painful situation. It is important to minimize the impact of divorce on children and to make sure they do not feel unwanted or unimportant.Parents must always try to keep the family together despite the breakdown in their relationship. Patience is a virtue It is important to practice a lot of patience in difficult times. No pa rents would want a divorce if they can help it. Hence, everyone affected by a divorce must be patient and tolerant. Richard Clayton Harwick does not show enough patience when he leaves his family because he cannot get along with his step father. As a result of his action, his mother dies of heartbreak and his sister blames him for being selfish and cruel. In Pixie’s story, she does not show much patience towards her step siblings.She refuses to share her bedroom with Hetty. She is also hard headed and argues intensely with her step mother. We must learn to adapt to new situations Children from broken homes have no choice but to learn to adapt to new situations. This may be unfair to the children who seem to be the ‘victim’ of circumstances beyond their control. However, in the five stories told, we learn that adapting is better than resisting although it takes a lot of patience and effort on the children’s part. Claudia shows she is a rational and sensible child to accept her step mother.Ralph, who has three step mothers, gets along with all of them despite their different personalities. Don’t give up hope Colin’s story is the saddest of all. He does not give up hope of one day finding Jack whom he accepts as his own father. He saves all his money and plans to look for his dad when the time is right. Colin is a very determined person despite his young age. He knows what he wants. Robbo also hopes his sister Callie will accept their step father Roy. However, Callie resents Roy and decides to live with her real father in the end.STEP BY WICKED STEP Setting  ~ Step By Wicked Step 1. The haunted house of Harwick. 2. Domestic households of Claudia, Colin, Ralph, Pixie and Robbo. STEP BY WICKED STEP Literary Devices  ~ Step By Wicked Step Simile i. Like someone stepping on stones over a river with water raging on both sides (p. 21) ii. When a great ship strains at the tide, and needs a cabin boy, nobody asks the lad who s peaks as roughly as a gardener’s son, and claims to be Dick Digby, whether his mother knows he’s off to sea. (p. 25) iii. †¦ dressed black as a bat (p. 16) iv.She ( Hetty ) is still wary of me, and I still get on with her that bit better when all the lights are out, and I don’t have to watch her cocking her one side and fiddling with her hair or rolling the cat like a sausage across the downie (p. 103) v. It was like the Arctic. (p 87) vi. Like leftover shoved in a fridge (p. 2) vii. †¦. as narrow as the ones that archers used†¦ (p. 8) viii. †¦over a black and white tiled floor that looked like a huge checkerboard glazed †¦ (p. 4) tight little circle, like campers round a †¦(p. 6) ix. She picked her way†¦.. like someone stepping †¦. (p. 21) x.And I’d just stare down at my plate on my face that said, plain as day, with a look ‘Why should you? ’ (p. 40) Hyperbole Hyperbole is exaggeration. It puts a pictu re into the reader’s mind. Anne Fine occasionally makes a point by overstating an action or object as in the following hyperboles: i. As the driver swung the minibus (p. 1) ii. Just as if the dull-looking binder on the desk was a delicious birthday cake (p. 10) iii. No tears! I would have found obedience†¦. How many nights my pillow would become a flood (p. 17) iv. How many cloudless afternoons I was to water with my private showers (p. 17)Personification Personification is a a figure of speech in which inanimate objects or abstractions are endowed with human qualities or are represented as possessing human form. Anne Fine uses personification to make this novel more dramatic and interesting or to convey a certain mood. By using this literary device, it also helps us to relate more to the object or idea that is being personified because it is easier for us to relate to something with human attributes. i. Flinching as the twisted fingers of trees scraped at the glass (p. 2) ii. And then another flash shot generously across the sky (p. 7) iii.The wind still whistled through the tree, but in the room the silence is palpable (p. 34) Repetition This device is mostly used in two of the vignettes to emphasise on the subject in hand, as shown in the following: i. ‘It isn’t a story,’ said Colin. ‘There isn’t anything to tell. We just went on. ’ (p. 51) ii. ‘There isn’t a story,’ said Colin. (p. 53) iii. ‘There isn’t a story,’ said Colin. ‘We just went on. ’ (p. 56 ) iv. ‘ I’ve told you,’ said Colin. ’There isn’t story. It’s just that, as we went on, I started getting into trouble at school†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ (p. 57 ) v. ‘Dumpa’s the problem’ (pgs 107,112,119 and 125 )

Free Essays on Ragtime

In the classic E.L. Doctorow novel, Ragtime, we see the juxtaposition of many motifs to represent Doctorow’s view of the early century. By combining history and fiction Doctorow allows himself to write a semi-accurate interpretation of the early 1900’s while also being able to strongly express his own biases and opinions of the era. The biggest and perhaps most important theme Doctorow applies in the novel is social tension, or the battle of the rich versus the poor. Other important themes include rebirth, racial tension, and high randomness of events. It is apparent that Doctorow clearly favors the poor, lower class, in their struggle for economic and social mobility against the few, rich, and upper class citizens. Doctorow’s thoughts are best depicted through the novel’s characters. Tateh, Coalhouse Walker and Sarah are all characters who are portrayed as ‘good’. These characters, while representing a wide range of economic success, all symbolize socially challenged individuals. Throughout the novel, Doctorow always chooses these or similar types of characters to be the protagonists. Doctorow wants the reader to feel for Coalhouse’s situation. He wants the reader to hope that Willie Conklin is harmed and the Model T Ford is repaired. On the other hand, Doctorow tells a different tale for the economic elite, upper echelon of society, represented by J.P. Morgan and Henry Ford. Morgan is presented as a snobbish old man, who always gets his way, and we are supposed to feel no remorse for him when his museum is broken int!o. We, the readers, are inclined to agree with Doctorow’s opinion only because that is the way he planned it. Doctorow did not touch on any negative aspects of Coalhouse Walker’s actions, such as innocent firemen that he killed, and their families, perhaps, because this might sway the reader’s belief as to Coalhouse’s innocence. The concept of rebirth is used liberally by Doctorow. ... Free Essays on Ragtime Free Essays on Ragtime In the classic E.L. Doctorow novel, Ragtime, we see the juxtaposition of many motifs to represent Doctorow’s view of the early century. By combining history and fiction Doctorow allows himself to write a semi-accurate interpretation of the early 1900’s while also being able to strongly express his own biases and opinions of the era. The biggest and perhaps most important theme Doctorow applies in the novel is social tension, or the battle of the rich versus the poor. Other important themes include rebirth, racial tension, and high randomness of events. It is apparent that Doctorow clearly favors the poor, lower class, in their struggle for economic and social mobility against the few, rich, and upper class citizens. Doctorow’s thoughts are best depicted through the novel’s characters. Tateh, Coalhouse Walker and Sarah are all characters who are portrayed as ‘good’. These characters, while representing a wide range of economic success, all symbolize socially challenged individuals. Throughout the novel, Doctorow always chooses these or similar types of characters to be the protagonists. Doctorow wants the reader to feel for Coalhouse’s situation. He wants the reader to hope that Willie Conklin is harmed and the Model T Ford is repaired. On the other hand, Doctorow tells a different tale for the economic elite, upper echelon of society, represented by J.P. Morgan and Henry Ford. Morgan is presented as a snobbish old man, who always gets his way, and we are supposed to feel no remorse for him when his museum is broken int!o. We, the readers, are inclined to agree with Doctorow’s opinion only because that is the way he planned it. Doctorow did not touch on any negative aspects of Coalhouse Walker’s actions, such as innocent firemen that he killed, and their families, perhaps, because this might sway the reader’s belief as to Coalhouse’s innocence. The concept of rebirth is used liberally by Doctorow. ... Free Essays on Ragtime The novel takes place in New Rochelle in the 1900’s. During this time period a lot of changes were going on. Some of the changes were the women’s rights movement, race relations, and family roles. The main thing that caught my attention was the race relations between the whites and blacks. Through the novel they show how violence isn’t the way to settle issues like racism. The main character who showed violence trying to gain rights and equality was Coalhouse Walker. Coalhouse Walker was a black musician who challenged the racial issues in the society of New Rochelle. He was an important symbol in the book. His character provides insight of race relations during the turn of the century. He represents all African Americans who challenged the expectations many whites have of them. His character was formed with great pride like a typical African American had at that time period. They all wanted respect and equal rights. One scene shows how blacks were mistreated. Coalhouse was stopped for no reason and was being forced to pay an amount of money to the fire chief, Will Conklin. Coalhouse refused and went to find someone to help him. When he found a police officer to help, all he responded was with: â€Å" Those boys don’t mean no harm, he finally said. I know them all. Go on back now, They’re probably tired of the sport. Walker may have realized this was probably the maximum support he could expect from a policeman.† During that time period of history a black mans plead didn’t mean much to a police officer. â€Å"With eight people dead by Coalhouse’s hand, horses destroyed and buildings demolished, with suburban town still reverberating in its terror, his arrogance know no bounds.† Through out the novel Coalhouse Walker was looking to be heard by the people. His statements weren’t affecting anyone, so he started committing angry actions and resorted to violence to resolve his feelings toward society...

French Expressions with Être

French Expressions with Être The French verb à ªtre literally means to be and is found in many expressions. Learn how to say thats right, here goes, so be it, and more with this list of expressions with à ªtre. à ªtre cà ´tà © de la plaqueto be way off the mark, to not have a clue à ªtre bien dans sa peauto be at ease/comfortable with oneself à ªtre bouche bà ©eto be flabbergasted à ªtre dans le douteto be doubtful à ªtre dans la mouise (familiar)to be flat broke à ªtre dans la panade (familiar)to be in a sticky situation à ªtre dans son assietteto feel normal, like oneself à ªtre deto be at/in (figuratively) à ªtre en train de infinitiveto be (in the process of) present participle à ªtre haut comme trois pommesto be knee-high to a grasshopper à ªtre sur son trente et unto be dressed to the nines en à ªtreto take part in à §a mest à ©galits all the same to me à §a y estthats it, its done cestit is (impersonal expression) cest dateits (date) cestdirethat is, i.e., I mean cest moi / toi / Paulthats mine / yours / Pauls cest à §athats it, thats right Cest cadeauIts free, on the house Cest dans la pocheIts in the bag, a sure thing, a done deal cest grà ¢ce its (all) thanks to Cest la vie!Thats life! Cest le piedIts great cest partihere we go, here goes, and were off Ce nest pas de la tarteIts not easy Ce nest pas graveIt doesnt matter, no problem Ce nest pas la mer boireIts not the end of the world Ce nest pas mardi gras aujourdhuiWhat youre wearing is ridiculous Ce nest pas terribleIts not that great Ce nest pas tes oignons!None of your business! Ce nest pas vrai!No way! I dont believe it! Youre kidding! est-ce queno literal translation; this expression is used to ask questions Le fond de lair est fraisTheres a chill in the air Honi soit qui mal y penseShame on anyone who thinks evil of it, This person has hidden evil intentions il estit is (impersonal expression), he is Impossible nest pas franà §ais (proverb)Theres no such thing as cant Je ny suis pour rienI had nothing to do with it nest-ce pas?right? isnt that so? nous sommes / on est dateits (date) Le nouveau est arrivà ©Its Beaujolais Nouveau Day Plus à §a change, plus cest la mà ªme choseThe more things change, the more they stay the same Quand le chat nest pas l, les souris dansent (proverb)When the cats away, the mice will play si ce nest pas indiscretif you dont mind my asking soitso be it, that is soit... soit...either... or... Tout ce qui brille nest pas or (proverb)All that glitters isnt gold

Problem-Posing Versus the Banking Systems of Education Essay

Problem-Posing Versus the Banking Systems of Education - Essay Example This paper stresses one can easily identify with Freire’s arguments on the two systems of education. Although majority of schools and teachers believe in the banking system, there are still some that use the problem-posing system. It is therefore easy to get a clear distinction between the two systems. Different teachers use varying teaching methods and this greatly affects the attitude of the students towards certain subjects. In a class where problem posing system is embraced, the students are more likely to have a positive attitude towards the units they are taught as compared to one that uses the banking system. The system allows the students to think imaginatively outside the area being taught in class. The students are free to share their thought openly with fellow students and the teacher. This boosts their confidence and their creative ability because they are not restrained to think in a particular way.   The system allows the students to confidently express their p erceptions about the world.From the discussion it is clear that  the students interacted freely with the teachers and they could ask for clarification in areas they could not understand. The teacher also learnt from the students. To get answers to math problems, the teacher could show a certain method and a student could come up with a different method but leading to the same answer.  The experience from the problem-posing system to problem-posing system helped improve the grades in math.   

Magnetite Biomineralization Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Magnetite Biomineralization - Research Paper Example nt study showed that most human brain tissues had a least five million single domain crystals per gram and in excess of 100 million crystals per for dura and pia. The crystals were in clumps of 50-100 particles. During biologically controlled mineralization of magnetite the organism makes use of cell activities to control the nucleation, growth, final place of deposit, and the morphology of the mineral. The process of biomineralization of magnetite commonly occurs in an isolated environment. The nucleation and growth of biominerals is dependent on the existence of a localized zone that enjoys and maintains adequate supersaturation. The two phases of iron that commonly feature in the process of magnetite biomineralization in bacteria are ferrihydrite and magnetite. In bacteria, magnetosome organelle is responsible for producing magnetite. The organelle is basically a biomineralized greigite or magnetite. Magnetite Fe3O4 is a naturally occurring mineral. Scientists note that the mineral is one of the most magnetic minerals that naturally occur on earth. Research has shown that magnetite does not only occur naturally on the earth, it is also found in animal tissues. Indeed scientists note that almost all groups of organisms form one form or another of biominerals. Some of the organisms that have been found to precipitate magnetite include arthropods, chordates, and mollusks. Recent studies show that biominerals are found in humans such as in bones and teeth. The precipitation of magnetite in living organisms occurs through the biomineralisation process. This paper will discuss Magnetite biomineralization in light of its chemistry, occurrence, and crystallography among other issues. Biomineralisation or biologically regulated mineralization is basically the process through which living organisms produce minerals according to Kirschvink and Hagadorn (2000). Weiner and Dove (2013) note that biomineral products are composites that comprise both organic and mineral